Malachite
by logica
Summary: AU. After the events from 'Bronze'. When Dr. Elizabeth Weir left the city, she took with her more than she realized.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Stargate: Atlantis'. They're not my property.

Author's note: **Thank you** to those who nominated 'Bronze' at the Stargate Fan Awards. :)

* * *

_She managed to sneak into the large oval room and run up to the white stone with a black image of a cat painted on it. Her small hands gripped the smooth edge as she tried to see above it. She was unsuccessful as the table was too high for her. Two large, green eyes – with one floating above the other, from the little girl's view – then appeared. They belonged to an older man with thin black beard and a tame smile. "What are you doing here?" he asked her._

_"I want to watch!" the little voice said._

_The older man chuckled. "You are still young."_

_"No, I am not!" the girl objected._

_Her father shook his head and then took her hand. "You can observe when you are older," he told her and led her to a woman close to his age. The woman had waist-long brown hair decorated with tiny diamond-like pins which held a silk veil that fell behind her shoulders; her medium-sized body was wrapped in bright, red silk dress with a tame image of a feline and the sun woven into it, close to the edges of the dress which had small green jellyfish woven on it. _

_The woman smiled warmly down at her daughter and took her with a hand that had a black feline in battle tattooed on it. "Come now," she gently told her daughter and led her back to the leaf-shaped exit where two soldiers stood. The young men had gray and white woolen clothing that covered almost their entire bodies; a sword hung from their waists, which they guarded with a hand that carried a small ring on the middle finger. _

_She looked back to see the older man sit down on a chair just before the doors opened where men of different appearance entered. _

When Elizabeth opened her eyes, she saw a pigeon fly past her window, its silhouette almost surreal in the briefness before the strong rays of the sun. She mumbled, wanting to bury her face in the pillow. A thought of memory then struck her that she had an appointment in a few hours. Elizabeth rolled over on her back and then began to slowly open and close her eyes, to adjust herself for the new morning. Yet another dream. One of many….

It had been four months since Elizabeth returned from Delonia almost empty-handed. The throbbing headache had made her trip back home nearly nightmarish, and she almost missed her second plane – for which she would have had to take another flight that was four hours longer. Once again she slept very little and by the time she arrived in her nice apartment and her nice bed, she simply crashed on it, not bothering with anything else before doing so, except to lock the door.

The stubborn headache persisted and she had to arrange appointments with several doctors with hope that someone could explain to her what was causing it. She was not given any other answer besides the usual "No, you seem fine," response.

For the first two weeks – the amount of time that the headache lasted, and drove her nearly insane – Elizabeth could do very little work and it was frustrating. After the pain finally ceased, she could get to work and document what she had seen… almost. While writing one morning, Elizabeth was sadly reminded of the lack of evidence to endorse what had been discovered, particularly the Juliana incident in the City. The only solid piece of proof she had had been the one, as Elizabeth glanced over at the shelf where many of her books were, of that warrior's helmet; however, that was something she decided to keep for herself for some reason. The lukewarm greeting she received from her colleagues back home wasn't very encouraging either, despite them knowing the usual hostility from the Delonian government where the assistance of foreign archeologists was concerned. Elizabeth's previous reputation had taken a slight bent afterwards. As a result, the information that the Delonian authorities were willing to share after with the team from the Toronto institute was even scarcer than before.

She increased the volume of the small speakers in her bathroom. Music always helped for this boring task of lady business to pass a little quicker for her as she began moving her razor against the shaving-gel-covered leg. The music that came out from the small gray speakers was an odd mix of several native instruments such as a wooden flute and small drums. It had been a CD she had bought in Kroleva shortly before her departure. Occasionally Elizabeth would listen to the recordings of old, folk melodies and songs that she collected from the various countries she had been to, but this one CD occupied her stereos much more frequently. It wasn't something to which she gave a thought, but these sounds were the kind she craved to listen to. Each time she would play the compilation, Elizabeth felt like she was listening to a familiar sound that she had once known and deeply missed. It relaxed her.

Her cell phone rang yet again. And yet again she noticed a number from…Turkey? "Hello," she answered the call.

At first there were some muffed voices as if the person on the other side was speaking to other people in the room. "Oh, hey, Elizabeth!" the male voice then said.

It sounded familiar but she wasn't quite certain. "Yes?"

"It's –" The introduction was briefly interrupted by someone calling the man in broken English: _"Dr. Jefferson, was this the script_?" Some noises of shuffling pieces of paper followed before the doctor gave confirmation to the question.

"Freddie?" Elizabeth was surprised.

"Yeah, it's me," Freddie Jefferson replied. "Did I call at a bad time?"

"Uh…" Elizabeth stared at the green razor that she held in her hand before glancing down at her half-shaven left leg. "No, no." She decided to continue her work and getting rid of those hairs whilst speaking to her friend. "It's been a while. How are you?"

"Oh, busy, very busy."

"Still in Ephesus?"

"Yeah, uh, look, we discovered something very unusual beneath a new hall."

"What is it?"

"It's…well, it looks like ancient Krolevian."

The razor stopped. "Krolevian? In Ephesus?"

"I was as surprised as you. Quite understandably it's older but…"

"What is it exactly?"

"Well…we found it on this closed entrance. Not sure if it's possibly a tomb… I thought maybe you could have a look at the writings."

"Sure." The lack of attention to her leg, however, resulted in her accidentally cutting her skin. "Ow! Damn it!"

"What happened?"

"Nothing, I just -… Never mind." She quickly attended to her tiny cut.

"I'll send the pictures by e-mail. Hopefully you can make out what they mean…Really unexpected."

"Just by hearing this, I agree." Finally she dried her skin and exited the bathroom. Rushing into the small room where a blue-and-white desk with a laptop had been. Elizabeth sat down, in her underwear, still with a towel in her left hand whilst holding the cell phone with her right.

"Did you get them?" he asked.

"Wait…" Elizabeth logged into her account where a new message was waiting in her inbox. She clicked on it and surely enough, it was an email from Freddie. The ten high-resolution images were downloaded immediately. "Yeah, I did." The first picture that popped onto the screen was of an underground, sealed, stone entrance surrounded by – strangely enough – red rock. There were no painted images except pale white letters around the square entrance. "Wow. I'll give you a call if I have anything."

"Okay, thanks, Elizabeth."

When the connection ended, Elizabeth began to view the digital photographs curiously. As she zoomed in on some, her chin resting on her hand, Elizabeth quickly grabbed a notepad and pen next to the laptop without even having to look with her eyes for them. She had done it too many times.

She then began writing down the letters, whilst her heart's pace increased slightly due to some strange kick of excitement over this. She narrowed her eyes at some of the letters. It had been a dialect similar to the one in which the 'instructions' in that large chamber with traps in the Bronze City were written. The strong sunlight that fell through the window on the right wall illuminated most of the table without touching the laptop. Usually the translation to an ancient Krolevian text would be twice as long as the original because their choice of wording a sentence had a habit of being odd, but this time, it appeared shorter and easier to understand for her. Elizabeth was perplexed by the speed of this when she wrote down her translation of the first sentence. "Travel far away from the net of the past." She was about to begin on the second sentence when Elizabeth accidentally glanced at the clock on her desktop. "Shit." She then looked at her wristwatch and saw the same time. Saving her documents, Elizabeth made a few quick clicks before shutting down her laptop. She placed the notepad between two thick books and then hurried to her bedroom to get dressed. Elizabeth had promised her friend Dr. Edmond to be a guest lecturer during her class this morning.

* * *

Elizabeth pressed the button and the slide changed to a picture of a simple bronze box with engravings. "As you can see here…" She pointed to the writings on the lid. "This was a box in which a special scroll… the treaty, we believe, would be placed, before being taken to the other leaders of the tribes to be signed. This one is from the fourth dynasty…as you can tell by the symbol of the sun in a feline jaw – their symbol at the time." She pressed the button again and the picture changed with one of a pillar showing a serpent wrapped around a black feline. "Now this…" Her thought then suddenly ceased. "This pillar –" Elizabeth stared at the image on the scene – one she had seen and explained many times before – without being able to continue her sentence. "Um, this is a…" She then pressed her lips and looked down at her notes, alarmed at the sudden stoppage of thought, especially one repeated countless times before. In the darkened classroom, a cough was heard as all eyes were on this archeologist. Elizabeth looked at her audience of young students, all waiting to hear her explanation, but she had nothing to say. The fifth time this sudden stoppage occurred during her lecture here. Even the professor who watched by the entrance was puzzled by this. Dr. Elizabeth Weir was usually a wonderful lecturer, almost an expert on the largely unknown Ancient Krolevian culture. This was somewhat unusual.

Some hours later, Elizabeth sat down in the chair in the office of her friend and colleague Dr. Laura Edmond. The 45-year-old woman with curly black hair and a youthful face set down her cup of tea. She pressed her glasses up and then chuckled. "Oh, Elizabeth what did you expect from them? They just wait for you to make one little mistake and be all over you like a pack of dogs. They've always been like that."

Elizabeth smirked to this. "Oh trust me, I know."

"Professional jealousy can be nasty. That Thomson still can't get over the fact that you were right about the astrological map being of Krolevian origin and not Roman." Laura watched her friend as she leaned back. "So the bastards will gloat over your little mistake with the Bronze City for a while, so what?"

"It's not what I'm worried about, Laura."

"You mean the funding?"

"Yes."

"They won't go that far."

"Maybe, but –"

"Eh, every once in a while some rain must fall. We'll find others."

Elizabeth smiled slightly. She always enjoyed her friend's optimism.

"And you could always write a book over this. Your PhD _and_ experience could only boost your sales, you know."

Elizabeth chuckled. "You're always bubbling with ideas." She saw her shrug to this and smile. "The fictional story of an adventurous archeologist in the long lost city."

"Who meets a very handsome guide on her way," Laura added with a twinkle in her eye.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "I never mentioned he was handsome."

"With the choice of words you used to describe him? Oh yes you did." Laura saw her friend smile shyly to this.

Elizabeth then noticed today's newspaper on her desk. She took it and saw the headline of yet another peace treaty signed; smiling faces of three men in a joined handshake for the cameras. She began reading it. When Laura called her, Elizabeth only briefly raised her head with her fingers under her chin. "Mmm?"

"What got your attention?"

"Oh…" Elizabeth lifted the page for her friend to see. She then placed it back in her lap. "It won't last more than three years."

"That's certainly a different turn to the more optimistic view you had before."

Elizabeth's gaze remained on the story. "It only prolongs a crisis… it doesn't bring lasting peace," she replied dryly and threw the newspaper back on the desk. Inside, another feeling of dismay began to nest. The books she read, the programs she watched since returning… Nothing had truly changed with this species.

"But at least it gives the people there hope," Laura said.

"For now."

Laura narrowed her eyes slightly, but shrugged it off. "So…what happened to you back there?" she then asked with noticeable seriousness and concern, changing the subject back to the lecture.

"I don't know." Elizabeth shook her head. The lecture ended much sooner than expected, leaving many of the students baffled. Some of the findings she was able to explain with the finest details – something she hadn't truly done before, surprising her greatly – while others, she was simply stripped of any knowledge. She didn't know the cause of it. "It was as if I had forgotten everything on that particular find." Elizabeth inhaled and then held her breath before releasing it slowly. "It's never happened before."

Laura nodded. It wasn't very helpful to her friend when a student asked her about the Bronze City incident and how an expert archeologist like her could be responsible for the collapse of half the city – according to the Delonian authorities. "Maybe you need a break," she suggested.

"I did take one."

"Na-ha. That one trek you did doesn't seem to be enough for you."

Elizabeth leaned forward on the table, covering her face with her hands. "I'm fine, Laura."

"Maybe you just need someone for a while, you know?"

Elizabeth moved her hands away from her face until they formed a small frame for it to lean on them. "If you're suggesting this is the result of me being single –"

Laura laughed. "No, honey, not at all. But, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to find something more serious."

Elizabeth smirked. "Let's not go over this again." She crossed her arms, giving a clear sign to her friend to not continue the conversation.

"Alright." Laura sighed. "Just saying, Larry and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary next month.

"And congratulations on that," Elizabeth said.

"Thank you… So, what's your next move?" she asked.

"Got a call from Freddie. Apparently he found something in Ephesus that he wanted me to take a look at."

"Freddie Jefferson?"

"Yes."

"Huh, didn't know the poor boy was still alive," Laura commented to which Elizabeth chuckled. "His theories…" She shook her head.

Elizabeth sighed. "I used to think many of his theories were absurd…."

"Used to?" Laura frowned. "Don't tell me you –"

"No, It's just –"

"Elizabeth Weir – the archeologist who only made concrete theories based on solid evidence."

Elizabeth clasped her hands and said nothing.

"My goodness, what in Heaven's name did you see in there anyway?"

"Um…" Elizabeth played with the white cup. "To be honest, Laura… I'm still not 100 percent sure," she admitted.

* * *

It was 7 in the evening when Elizabeth returned home. She made herself a quick cup of coffee and decided to sit down and watch the news, but when she passed the room with her desk, she was reminded of the translations. Hurrying inside, she sat down and started the laptop. Later, she continued her work. As she progressed, her level of excitement increased. Elizabeth grabbed her cell phone and dialed Freddie's number.

"Uh…hello?" he answered with a sleepy voice.

"Sorry to have woken you, Freddie but this…you were right, it _is_ pretty interesting."

"What did you find?"

Elizabeth was silent. "Elizabeth?" she heard him call. "I think I might join you in Selcuk," she then replied.

----

_The fresh cool water from the gentle waterfall above her fell on her head, washing away the dirt. She glanced down at her naked body that stood in the clear pool of water up to its waist. Letting out a satisfied sigh she then laughed and ran her hands over her wet hair. The light brown rocks which hugged this small natural pool and thus shielding it somewhat from the curious outside world were smooth and almost radiant beneath the early sun. On some of those higher and flatten rocks to the left lay a large gray feline beneath a shade of trees, lazily watching her master with her head on her paw. _

_The young woman's hand gently traced an invisible line down her neck and to her chest when she heard a faint sound behind her of a clinking sword and light footsteps on stones. She smiled and closed her eyes. She knew who it was. "Her royal highness is not finished," she said._

_"Her royal highness always takes her bath a little too long for her guard's patience," a male voice responded behind her._

_She chuckled. Turning slowly around in the clear water she saw a young man with dark hair taking off his armor and then clothing. He then jumped inside the pool and swam over to her. When he was close enough, the young man rose up to meet her eye-to-eye. His hazel eyes bore into hers as he smiled ever so slightly at her. His smooth hands placed themselves on her bare hips and slowly brought his mistress to him. "You are an impatient man," she spoke to him with a husky voice._

_He raised an eyebrow as his eyes fell on her lips. "I would not need to be if you would only cease to test me," he dared her. _

_She only smiled before taking his lips hungrily with her own._

Elizabeth immediately opened her eyes in her darker environment. Blinking a few times, she looked around the seats filled with plane passengers – most of them asleep. She gripped the handle as she adjusted her sitting position and exhaled slowly. The way her dream continued made her blush repeatedly. Even she hadn't been that experimental. Quietly clearing her throat she glanced up and pressed the button above her. Some cheesy romantic comedy played on the small screen far ahead which she didn't care for.

"Yes?" a blonde stewardess with a polite smile leaned forward without disturbing the other passenger on the third seat in Elizabeth's row.

"I would like some mineral water," Elizabeth whispered her request. The stewardess nodded and then disappeared from her view.

Elizabeth leaned back and waited, casually glancing up at the movie screen. When the glass of mineral water was later brought to her, Elizabeth took a sip of the bitter drink and looked over at the night sky through her small window. These dreams appeared almost every night to her. Some she remembered and some she forgot, but they were always from her point of view and each happened in the same or at least around a rich, royal palace.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Stargate: Atlantis'. They're not my property.

* * *

The next morning, Elizabeth arrived at the ancient remains of Ephesus. As it was usual for this time of the year, the place was filled with tourists. Truth be told, Elizabeth sometimes found them to be a nuisance, but other times she was very aware of the needed revenue that came from them and… what use would their work be if it couldn't be shared, in one way or another, with the world? Still, their presence right now here appeared irritating. She was led by a female employee to a small steel gate that had a white sign with "Keep Out" written in both Turkish and English. After the gate she saw a handful of people scattered across a dusty area that looked to have once been a hall. Further up, the flatness was interrupted by a flight of stone steps that were – either accidentally or deliberately – broken apart with a gap in the middle that was the size of a dinner table. From where Elizabeth stood, she could only see someone standing at the opening with a cap and shouting something for the person on the other side to hear them. She smiled and approached the man with his large glasses and floppy hair. "To this day I haven't been able to figure out why you keep that long hair of yours," she said.

The young man turned his face to see a woman in black shorts, red t-shirt and a black shirt that kept waving weakly in the faint wind. Once the woman removed her sunglasses from her eyes before pushing them over her head, he was left standing there for the first couple of seconds. "Elizabeth!" he exclaimed.

She chuckled as the man hurried over to her, giving her a warm, welcoming hug. "Hey, Freddie."

"Didn't think you'd get here that fast," he told her.

"Oh, well, you know me, always eager to discover something that no one has seen in centuries."

Freddie nodded with his hands on his waist. "I'm glad you came," he said. "Oh!" he then rubbed his hands apologetically, removing some of the dust. "I take it you ate or whatever before coming here."

"Yes, and I can't wait to see them," she said, referring to the writings. Freddie was never really the casual-chat person, preferring to get straight to work instead.

"Okay, good. This way," he said and motioned for her to follow him. They reached the dark opening from where Elizabeth could see a dusty slope and, thanks to a few persistent rays of the sun, a man's face and some hands at the other end. Freddie then shouted something in Turkish to the man on the other side. "Watch your step," he told Elizabeth before slowly descending down.

Managing to slide more than walk down the slope, Elizabeth saw an older man standing next to four, perfectly vertical pillars. She was handed a flashlight by Mustafa – one of the archeologists working here. The white light began to perform a quick scan of the entrance she saw on those photographs. Her heart began racing as her eyes moved over the door and writings. "Wow…" she whispered, "I never thought I would see this again…" she said.

"Again?" Freddie looked at her.

"In person, I mean," she added quickly.

"Oh."

Her light stopped at the closed door as she tried to take an unnoticeable breath of amazement and allow her heart to settle. "Couldn't find a way to open the gate?"

Freddie sighed. "No. I hoped it would mention something in these writings," he gestured towards them, "but nothing."

_I'm not surprised…_, a voice deep inside her was heard. Elizabeth approached the red rocks that made the chamber. Looking at the ages-old surface, Elizabeth then slowly placed her hand on the door. She wished to open it now. But how could she? It was impossible at this moment, for many reasons that she didn't even know. Quickly, she removed her hand and spun around. "Did you find something else in the meantime?" Elizabeth asked her friend.

"No," Freddie replied.

"Okay." She sighed and gave another look at the door. It was waiting there, on the other side… Just waiting.

* * *

John took a sip of the hot tea. "Nefis," he said.

"Teşekkür ederim," Fulya replied. Her dark eyes watched him happily with a soft smile on her face. Her dark brown hair fell elegantly on her shoulders that carried a bright green dress that almost covered her bare feet. "Onur birazdan burada olacağını söyledi," she then added.

"Önemli değil, sizinle tatilinizden bir hafta önce karşilaşmayi beklemiyordum," John told her.

"Sana kızkardeşini ziyarete Kanada'ya gideceğimizi söylememiş miydi? "

"Onunla en son kasımın ortalarında görüşmüştük."

"Ah, evet,… sen bir yerden diğerine sürekli yer değiştirirken bir şekilde iletişimde bulunmanin ne kadar zor olduğu ile ilgili birşeyler söylemişti," she replied and giggled. For a woman of 48, Fulya had a rather girlish laugh.

John smiled and put the small tea glass on the short table.

"Ama ben onu aradığımda çok heyecanlandı."

"Güzel, ziyaretimin birisini memnun ettiğini duyduğuma sevindim."

"Hey!" Fulya hit him gently on his arm with a grin to which John laughed. "Yakin arkadaşlarımızın ziyareti bizi hep memnun eder, sen de biliyorsun bunu! Hatta beklenmedik olsalar bile. "

"Evet, biliyorum. Sadece şaka yapıyordum, Fulya."

Fulya giggled again and shook her head. "Selçuk'ta ne kadar kalacaksın?"

"Belki birkaç gün."

"Türkiye artik senin için eskisi kadar eğlenceli değil mi ne?"

"Zamanım kısıtlı," he replied.

"Ne zamandır John Sheppard süre için tasalanıyor? " a rough male voice interrupted the quietness in the room.

"Onur!" John laughed.

Onur, a somewhat chubby man with a thick mustache and warm green eyes came in the living room to greet his friend. The two men sat down again and talked about recent and more distant happenings in their lives. A particularly favorite subject for Onur had been his three children and how well they did in school. "Vedat," he said of his older son, "Bir gün bizim ülkeye başbakan olursa hiç şaşırmam"

Fulya simply smiled and tapped his hand gently. "Çocuklarla övünmeye bayılır."

"Eh, gurur duyacak böyle harika çocukları varken onu kim suçlayabilir ki? " John replied. He wished his own father had been more supportive like that during his childhood.

The conversation went on, shifting to archeology. "Ah, Efes." Fulya nodded. "Evet, Müesser geçen hafta orada birşey bulduklarını söyledi." Their daughter had been part of the team that worked on the site.

"Neydi?" John asked.

"Bir çeşit mezar olduğunu düşünüyorlar." Onur replied. "Ama 3,000 yıldan daha eski olabileceğine dair söylentiler dolaşıyor ortada. "

John whistled to this. "Vay be.Başka ne dediler hakkında?"

"Duvardaki yazıların da yabancı bir çeşit olduğunu söylüyorlardı. Daha once Türkiye'nin hiçbir yerinde böyle bir şeye rastlanmamış. "

"Şurası kesin ki," Fulya said with a sigh, "orası daha da fazla turist çekecek." She looked at her watch and then excused herself to go and prepare dinner.

By the time dinner was served, the young woman with her father's eyes and curly brown hair had joined them at the table. The conversation between her and John began in Turkish but soon switched to English on Müesser's request. She needed the practice, as she later added.

"So you don't know the origin?" John asked casually. Archeology still hadn't interested him much but it was a good way to make a conversation with the enthusiastic young woman. That interest though soon increased when Müesser told him that a Canadian archeologist by the name of Elizabeth Weir had joined them. "She translated most of the writings," she said.

"When did she come?" he asked.

"Um, two days ago, I think." She put her fork down after the last piece of the meal had been eaten. "Do you know her?"

"Yes, she's a, uh, a friend of mine," John replied and smiled. "Can I maybe take a look at where you found this tomb?"

"Oh, no, now we think it could be an entire temple!" she sounded excited.

"O-kay… the temple then."

"I suppose it would be alright," Müesser reluctantly agreed.

"Good. By the way, your English is great," John told her.

She smiled to this like her mother. "Thanks. Dr. Weir told me the same thing."

* * *

_In the brass bowl filled with fresh water, she gently washed away the blood from the stained blade of the dagger. She could feel the presence of someone standing in the middle of the three short steps which separated the bedroom from the other chambers. The tame snarl of the feline only confirmed for her who it might have been. "I already said I needed to be alone, Gord," she spoke as she rinsed the blade._

_"Maybe for another time," his voice, in which she recognized concern, was heard._

_She took a gray towel and wiped the blade. "If only they allowed at least one Protector to accompany them, this would not have happened." She then stabbed the wall once with the dagger, leaving it there before walking over the white silk curtains that hid the night sky from her. _

_"Your mother told me they wished to be alone."_

_"Ludicrous. Both she and my father knew that it is dangerous for citizens of this city to venture beyond its walls without such protection." She rubbed her left arm as her feeling of grief was beginning to get a stronger hold on her outward calmness. The steps she heard told her he came closer to her. _

_"They had known a small path since children of which none of the other tribes were aware of. This had not been their first stroll there."_

_A deep sigh escaped her as she could feel the tears building up in front of her eyes. "Ungrateful creatures!" she hissed. "After centuries of providing solutions for their primitive minds and preventing them from slaughtering each other, they continue to display their savageness towards us." She could see his shadow next to her. "I wish to be alone," she told him._

_"No, not this time," he told her and wrapped his arms around her. The feel of this embrace crumbled those calm walls of hers and she finally gave in to her grief, releasing her tears. The young woman collapsed in his arms. _

Elizabeth woke up with a heavy stone on her heart and a heavy tear on her right cheek. The pain…

* * *

The next day, John almost tripped over a shovel on the ground as he and Müesser made their way to the entrance behind the ruptured stone steps. He noticed a hand waving between the steps before a woman quickly came out. John smiled when he noticed that familiar face. "Hello there!"

Elizabeth looked his way and grinned at the site of her friend. "Imagine you here," she said and needed to take only one step forward to be in close proximity to him. Smiles and quick glances were exchanged before an embrace followed. Without a word, Müesser quietly distanced herself from the two and hurried to her work.

"Well, something's changed about you," she said. Elizabeth brushed his smooth cheek quickly with the back of her hand. "Almost didn't recognize you without your beard."

"Apparently I look better without it, I was told," he replied.

"There is some truth to it." She hadn't seen this man in five months but it felt so much longer for her. "What brings you here?"

"Ah, I was looking at a map on the train to Xian and remembered I haven't been here in a few years."

"And…you decided to just hop on a plane to Turkey."

"Yup."

"Very spontaneous of you," she remarked.

John laughed. "It works."

"How did you manage to –"

"Müesser," he replied.

"You know each other?"

"I'm a friend of the family."

"I see," Elizabeth managed to conceal a smirk.

"And this…" he pointed to the entrance, "Is ancient Krolevian?" John asked.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Yes," she replied and turned toward the entrance for a moment. "By the writings anyway. The design is…" she shook her head. "Somewhat strange, not characteristic for them."

"Oh. Can I take a look at it?"

A sudden smile stretched across her face and her eyes, if they could glow, they would to this. John found this a bit strange. "Yes!" she exclaimed. After descending down, he was shown the sealed chamber. Observing it, he also noticed Elizabeth's curious look toward him. "What?" he asked.

"What do you think?" she responded with another question.

"I, uh…" John looked back at the entrance and its surroundings. "I don't remember anything like this back in the City… but then, I find the existence of an ancient Krolevian… building outside of Delonia even stranger."

"Mm…" she quietly agreed and returned her gaze to the chamber much to John's relief. The way she kept observing him whilst he scanned the find made him slightly uncomfortable.

"What do the writings say?" He pointed to them and then shoved his hand back in his pocket again.

"It's a poem," she replied. To his look Elizabeth added, "We…I haven't been able to translate it entirely yet, but from what _has already_ been translated, it talks about a man and a woman who venture into an unknown forest where they are met by a… dark wind that eventually snatches souls and makes them its prisoners. Though, the emphasis seems to be on the woman through the poem."

"Does it give a clue to what's inside?"

"It could be a tomb…"

"Müesser mentioned a temple as well?"

She shrugged.

"You've no idea what's inside then." He saw her shake her head. "Who's Freddie?" John suddenly asked.

"A colleague, friend. He's the reason I'm here."

"Freddie Jefferson?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He paused. "And you haven't found a way to open this thing?"

"Not yet. I was just going to go back to the hotel to go over some notes-"

"Dr. Weir!" someone shouted from above.

"Yes?"

"Dr. Jefferson has found something he wants to show you!"

"On our way!"

They returned on the surface and took a short walk on an ancient white-stone pathway that led them to a small red tent. Inside, they found Freddie with a cup of coffee going over photographs of the writings and their translations. Elizabeth made the quick introduction.

"Ah, you're John, yeah, Elizabeth mentioned you a few times."

"That's good to know," John smiled and glanced at his friend. "And what's that?" he asked about the manuscript.

"Oh this, it's, uh, a…I've been looking at some of the writings and…"

"What did you find?" Elizabeth asked.

"I think it might be some kind of a religious site!" he said with excitement.

Elizabeth stood quietly in her place, observing her colleague. "How did you come to that assumption?"

"Well, we know it talks about this forest and this dark wind that captures the woman's soul."

"You mean both their souls."

"No, only the woman's."

Elizabeth came to stand next to Freddie, her hands on the wooden table. "The emphasis _is_ on the woman but it doesn't mention that only her soul is taken."

"It doesn't say that the man's has been taken as well either," Freddie told her.

John quickly interrupted as he sensed this might take longer. "When you say a religious site, could we be talking about a possible temple?" he asked the archeologists.

"Maybe. I mean, we speculated even earlier about such a thing, but after reading this, it seems more likely."

"That's too high of an expectation," Elizabeth said to that. "We don't know if it really is a temple yet, let's not go to such conclusions," Elizabeth replied.

"I wouldn't say –" Freddie began.

"It's not a temple," she replied calmly but firmly. Sudden silence overruled everything for a few moments in the tent.

"You almost sounded certain of that," John said.

"That's because we came nothing of that kind in the City itself."

John pulled his head back. "What about the o-"

"_Nothing_ of that kind, John," she reminded him, now her look was more determined.

He stared at her longer, and would have continued to do so if Freddie didn't interrupt. John said nothing but looked back at Freddie throwing a suspicious glance Elizabeth's way at times.

"You didn't tell him about the temple we found in the City?" John asked as he and Elizabeth approached the exit of the city afterwards. Both archeologists continued to argue in their own way about the meaning of the writings to the point that John felt he would get a headache as a result even though he ended up being only a spectator on the side.

"No."

"And that's because…"

"It was destroyed."

John blinked. "But the remains?"

"There were none."

He grimaced to this before letting out a laugh. "What, it vanished?"

"All I was told is that nothing that could even remotely resemble an ancient Krolevian religious site was found."

"That doesn't sound right."

"No, it doesn't."

"You think they might not be telling everything?"

"It's possible, but… I don't think they would on this one. Besides, they seem to relish reminding me of what I had done to the City…" she spoke with a drop of sarcasm.

"And what's their opinion on what you found here?"

"They'll be sending a team to check it out here next week," she replied.

* * *

Amongst the ruins, a man and a woman sat before a long wall, examining it still. It had been one of the rare pieces which had managed to survive the destruction in the Bronze City five months earlier. A short-haired woman with thick glasses leaned closer to her colleague. "_What did you find_?" she whispered in the dusty room.

The older man had a red cap on as he gently brushed his hand over the smooth wall. "_It seems their religious beliefs were stronger than we thought_," he said. "_Look at this_," he pointed to the drawing of a sleeping person placed on a platform and surrounded by people. Above the man was a pale image, floating, waiting. "_By the looks of this, and… well, it makes sense_."

"_What does_?"

"_This is the ending ritual, when his spirit has finally done his last farewell and he leaves the host_." He got up and ran over to the other end of the wall. "_If the person who died_," his hand began gliding slowly over the images as he spoke, "_if he had done something incredibly noble during his lifetime, something that helped his or her people… the heavens would grant his soul a… second chance_."

The female archeologist stood up and approached him. She observed the representations. The pale ghost entered the body of another man. "_A host? A live one_?"

"_Yes. Well, the host would be asleep, and this…by the way its described here_," he pointed at the writings in red, "_it would be a dream he would not remember_," he replied.

She brought her face closer to the last sentence. "_This was willingly done_."

"_Yes. Usually the host would be someone the family was fond of_."

"_It doesn't say how long the soul remains there…_"

"_No_."

"_A second chance for the diseased to say goodbye to the ones he loved…_"

"_Exactly._"

Both stood there, continuing to observe the walls. "_Remarkable_," she added in the end.

* * *

Elizabeth felt exhausted when she returned to her hotel. She took a quick shower and then went to bed. She needed rest and only hoped she wouldn't oversleep and miss her meeting with John.

_Her pale hands removed some of the black sand gently. They uncovered a white marble stone in the shape of triangle. Slowly they removed it to reveal a black entrance. "What could this be?" her voice asked. Suddenly something black with eyes too strange to be described emerged from the hole and with black teeth and no lips devoured her. _

Elizabeth sat up on the bed with her heart beating out of control. Realizing where she was, in this familiar bed, with the sun setting outside, she then jumped out of the bed and grabbed her notebook. Writing down two pages of memories, she then closed it shut and kept it between her hands with her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. That moment, that one single moment had felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. She felt helpless, used, afraid…. Slowly she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, so deep that she swallowed it. Elizabeth looked around the room. There was more to this… there had to be. She put the notebook down on the table and then went to the bathroom for another shower as she glanced at her wristwatch. John was waiting….


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Stargate: Atlantis'. They're not my property.

* * *

The restaurant was small, as expected. Leaning in his chair with the quiet oriental music playing in the background, John tapped the empty glass gently while waiting. They had agreed on dinner earlier with Elizabeth's first choice being flatly rejected by him. The reason was simple: John was never too fond of fancy, ridiculously expensive restaurants. His suggestion of a cheaper, and as he added "a more fun" place prevailed. He smiled as the words from the guests around him were all in their native language. Not a single tourist, just the way he liked it. Another sight made him keep that smile. Long yellow pants and a simple green blouse were the choice of clothes for the woman who soon joined him; a small bag that she had over her shoulder looked rather out of place with the rest of her wardrobe. "No silk dress this time?"

She smiled. "It would've been nice if you gave me an address to the restaurant," Elizabeth told him. "Wasn't easy to find it, especially with a driver who spoke very limited English." She sat down on the chair opposite his.

John chuckled to this. "Well, the food here is pretty good. You'll forget about that soon enough," he told her.

"Hmm."

White wine and some stuffed peppers later, Elizabeth laughed again before she took a sip. John's prediction became true. "Sounds like an interesting place."

John smiled and put the last piece of the meal in his mouth to chew. "You've never been to Mongolia?" he asked before continuing to chew.

"No. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been to China either," she replied.

"That truly _is_ a shame. It's one of the most beautiful places with some of the best people I've ever encountered."

"Oh, well, coming from someone with your travel experience, I trust you are right."

"Never mind all the archeological wonders it possesses," he said, drawing strange invisible objects with his fingers in the space before him.

"Mm…so, either they've paid you quite well to lure me there or China has settled nicely in your heart."

"A little of both." He chuckled. "With bigger emphasis on the latter."

She stared long and pleasantly at her companion. John saw this and kept her gaze. It felt good to see her again – a feeling, he sensed, was much stronger on her part for reasons he had understood after Elizabeth shared her turbulent few months since her return from Delonia.

"A place I should see."

"That's right. Oh!" John lifted his finger in front of him. "That reminds me." He reached down to his right side and picked up a small, black plastic bag. "It's for you." John gave it to Elizabeth.

"Hmm…" With a mischievous smile and her raised eyebrow, Elizabeth took the bag and set it down on her lap where she opened it. What she found inside stunned her for a moment as her lips parted without a sound. "Oh my…" she whispered and slowly removed the red dress from the bag and raised it to a level that wouldn't draw much attention. "This is…"

"Pure Chinese silk, yes."

She slowly shook her head and moved her left hand on the smooth fabric. "Beautiful."

He could tell the slight concern in her eyes. "It was a gift from a generous family in this small village where I stayed."

"Nice of you to remember me while being there then."

"To be honest with you, you didn't really cross my mind until I saw this dress. Kind of looks like the one Juliana never gave back to you."

"Oh this one is much better."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm. Indeed, quite generous of them," she said. Elizabeth placed the dress carefully back in the bag. "Thank you, John. It's beautiful."

"Ah, glad you like it." John crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"Unfortunately, I…" Elizabeth scratched her neck gently and shyly.

John chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Elizabeth."

She smiled nervously and placed the plastic bag inside her own. "How did you learn Turkish, by the way?"

"Hm?"

"Well, first Krolevian, now Turkish….how-?"

"I like this place," he replied simply.

"You learned the language because you liked the country?"

"Yes. And the people."

"Good enough reason. Any other languages you're beginning to master?"

"You'll see."

Elizabeth looked strangely back at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means, I like to surprise you."

Her face lifted itself high along with her eyebrows before she nodded slowly with a smile. "A man who doesn't want to give up many secrets so easily."

John kept his smile and said nothing to this.

She took a deep breath and then took her glass of wine. "Nice to know that the last few months have better for you, at least."

"Yeah, sorry to hear the shit you went through. Who knew archeologists could be so vicious in their field."

Elizabeth took one last sip of the wine. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Somehow, that's easy to be believed," John replied to which he received a slight smile from her.

She was quiet for a while, thinking about something. "Some events I couldn't say," her words came out.

"About?"

"The Bronze City. Despite the lack of evidence… there were events I wanted to tell about but couldn't."

"I don't get it."

"My memory shut down."

"Like during the lecture?" He saw her nod. "No idea why?"

She sighed. "None whatsoever. Also..." Elizabeth pulled out a black notebook from her bag. "Read it," she told him.

Looking at her strangely, John took the notebook. "What's this?"

"Dreams. At first I didn't make much of them, but the themes that flowed through them appeared awfully familiar."

John opened the notebook and began to read the few text-filled pages.

"Wow," he whispered to some of the descriptions of a more sensual nature.

"The third dream?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mm. You're sure these could be –"

"Yes," she quickly told him. "My subconscious fantasies they are not. Not the kind of methods I would prefer."

"Maybe they should be," he said and looked over at her.

"Maybe in another lifetime."

John smirked and continued reading the rest. "Well, this is weird."

"I know."

"When did you start having them?"

"Right after my headache went away."

"Only six?"

"The only ones I managed to remember..." she confessed. "They felt almost like memories to me."

"How often did they occur?"

"Every night..."

He looked down at the notebook. "You think Juliana might have done something else to you?" John asked.

"Maybe."

John turned the page. "This one doesn't sound pleasant."

"The last one?"

"Yeah."

"It was a nightmare. I've had some in the past but this one just took the cake."

"Was it that bad?"

"It was horrible," she said quietly and almost absently.

His green eyes looked up at her. "Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine."

John could see how relieved she was to be able to share this with him. He understood her reasons all too well. "Alright." He called for the waiter shortly after. "Baklava alabilir miyiz lütfen?" John closed the notebook. "I ordered us some dessert," he then told Elizabeth.

"Good." She sighed. "Good."

"Why don't you just quit?" he then asked her.

"Quit what?"

"Your job at the institute?"

She looked at him as if horns had suddenly appeared on his head. "May I ask why you are asking…_suggesting_ that?"

"From what you've told me, it doesn't sound like it's the best place to be."

"Oh, no, that…" she chuckled nervously, "wasn't my int-"

"But it sure sounded like it."

Her big eyes shimmered softly in the dim-lit restaurant. "Well," she glanced down at her lap. "There's one problem with that."

"Which is?"

"I love my job. And… I have family in Toronto." Elizabeth looked up at him.

"I wasn't suggesting you should leave Toronto, Elizabeth."

She smiled briefly. "Like I said, I love my job."

"You didn't say you loved your job there."

"John!" She warned him, appearing agitated by his persistence over this.

He shrugged. "O-kay." The dessert was brought to their table not long after.

She stared at the rhombus-shaped desert before her, calming down gradually. "And what is this called?"

"Baklava."

"Huh." She parted away a slice to taste it. "Mm, not bad." Elizabeth quickly took another slice. "Anything else I missed on that you'd like to tell me about?"

"Well, Leko and Maya have a son now."

"Ah, congratulations."

"Thank you. They named him Gord."

"Good choice for a name."

"That's what I said, too."

* * *

_Her pace was quick even after she entered her chamber. She could hear his fast footsteps behind her. They stopped, the door was closed and then, slowly they came closer. "Are you certain what you said back there was the correct choice?" he asked her._

_"Yes."_

_He was silent for a while. "This will damage our relations, Destiva," he reminded her._

_"They were never good, Gord." She turned and threw him a look before walking away to remove her long red cloak._

_"Threatening them with war was supposed to 'improve' those relations?"_

_"Someone had to remind them. For centuries they have not been able to keep a truce for more than thirty days. I had to convince them to stay with this peaceful decision we reached…. Over and over again…" She sighed and placed her hand on the large head of the cat lying next to her bed and began stroking the thick fur gently. "It is growing tiring for me." _

_"It was not a wise move."_

_She stopped, her back turned to him. "Only because you share my bed, it does not give you the privilege or right to question my decisions," she told him, her voice cold. "It is only a warning. Should they choose to disturb the peace yet again…" her hand touched the paw, her fingers revealing an inch of the giant claw. "I will not be in the mood to help them reach anymore peaceful solutions." She then stood up and walked over to the brass bowl. _

_"You know very well you would never find an army of men and women to attack in that way."_

_"I was not speaking of a human army," she replied quietly. _

_But it was not something Gord managed to hear. "They do not deserve to have a threat of that kind become reality."_

_"Oh, you believe that, Gord? You believe it is better for those undeveloped life-forms to continue with their primitive wars, so my people can not venture out of this city freely?"_

_"Their new leaders show promise –"_

_She hurried over to him. "Stop conjuring up excuses for them!" she hissed at him. "For generations we have tried to convince them that peace is better, to stop their bloodshed, to help them…But it is not good enough! They are too violent! Their desire for domination is too great to be settled with any stupid treaty!"_

_He was startled by the anger in her eyes. "You will not find an army here to launch an offensive on them should they choose to break this last treaty."_

_She then smiled. "Oh but I already have."_

_"Who?"_

_She glanced over at the large cat next to the bed. When she looked back at him, his gaze was one of shock and disbelief. _

_"You cannot be serious."_

_"I have no reason not to be."_

_"It is not their role."_

_"But it will be."_

_"No." When she returned to her bowl, he continued, "You cannot do this. You know they cannot win against the Protectors."_

_"It depends on them now. If they keep this peace, I will not need to," she said with confidence._

_"Ever since you returned from your journey you have been different…What has happened to you?" he asked with hidden worry._

_"Oh." She glanced down at her hand where a thick color of black emerged quickly from her palm, caressing the pale skin before burrowing back inside again. "I came across new things worth exploring."_

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she looked down at empty and thinner notebook; the scarce light of the moon fell on the bare skin that had nothing to cover it. After she was finished, the notebook was closed and placed back in the drawer along with the black-ink pen. Sitting again with her bent legs beneath her, she took a deep breath and allowed her eyes to focus loosely on the night sky and clouds floating on it. It had been a good night tonight. She could tell how pleasant Elizabeth felt during the entire meeting; her guard had lowered, her muscles eased, she appeared more relaxed. It felt so good for Elizabeth to talk to John again, feeling no one else could understand her when she had needed it. It didn't go beyond the meal. There was no dance, no stroll, nothing like the last time. They said they would see each other in the morning perhaps, if Elizabeth had been thinking straight.

She rubbed her palms slowly against each other. She should have felt guilty for what she would be forced to put this poor woman though... But she had no choice. She didn't want to die in that hideous prison. Her eyes looked over at the small trash can where tiny pieces of torn paper almost filled the small thing completely. _Some memories should only be temporary..._

She could have helped her with the tomb, but for her own reasons she remained silent. Time was not right for it, and the apathy she developed towards that place had remained strong.

A knock on the door caused ripples in the silence. She turned her head to the door. The knock repeated itself. "Who could be..." she whispered. The knock repeated. Covering her naked body with the green robe, she hurried to the door. Her hand touched the surface, as she decided to wait for a second longer. A fourth knock followed. She unlocked the door, then opened it to find him standing in the hallway. His clothes hadn't changed. In fact, nothing had changed about him. She watched him with surprise. He wouldn't notice. No one had noticed before. She could fool him just as easily. "John?" she asked. Without a word, he rushed passed her. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Close the door," he said when he stopped in the middle of the hotel room.

Quietly, she did. Afterwards, she approached him. "What's going on?"

John turned around making her realize that she had approached him a little too closely. He suddenly grabbed her wrists and shoved her back until her back was pressed against the orange wall. "What are you doing?" she demanded. He held her back so tightly that she could barely move.

"_It has been too long_," he spoke to her in a language she hadn't heard for centuries. But she stood behind her cover.

"What?"

"_I know... you..._" he tightened his grip on her, "_...can understand me_!"

His breathing was more intense to match his dark gaze. But that had been a gaze of someone else she once knew.

"I don't think this is any way to treat a woman, John! Let me go!" she insisted.

"_I am not John_," he told her and then yanked her away, only to spin her around and have her back glued to his chest as his arms held her tightly. "_And as I recall, it is very unlike her royal highness to walk away from a rich meal with her beloved without a dance_."

In the darkness, she suddenly froze. How could he know that? How could he even know a language that not even today's descendants could speak? It couldn't be. "Who are you..."

His embrace was tight enough for his left hand to effortlessly slip beneath her robe, his fingers traveling down to the curve of her breast. "_You know who I am, Destvia_." His lips spoke close to her neck.

She felt silent, thoughts spinning endlessly. "_It cannot be_," she whispered. But when his hand removed itself from the warmth close to her chest, to travel down to a path exposed by her bare leg, it weakened her enough to send a confirmation. "_How is..._" she moaned quietly. He always had known where to touch her. "_How is it possible?_"

"_Its death allowed me a safe..._" His hand touched deeper. _"...passing_."

She pressed her head back with her eyes closed and lips that stretched to a smile. "Gord," she breathed out his name before a pleasurable moan escaped her. Destvia pushed his hand away in time to turn around and jump on him, wrapping her legs and arms around him. "_Your spirit survived_!"

He smiled at her. "_I was granted a last farewell in this world_."

"_But…_" she watched him intensively. "_How did he allow it_?" she asked about John.

"_He still slumbers_." His hand took a strand of her hair close to her cheek and played slowly with it as he spoke with a low voice. "_And the 'medicine' she gave to him, the one she believed would 'cure' him_."

To this, she grinned. She knew the true purpose of what Elizabeth had given to John to heal his wounds. "_To prepare his body for your arrival_…_You knew…_"

"_I watched them_."

Her fingers passed over his moist lips, as her eyes never moved from his. "_There is still hope_," she heard him whisper in a voice different to her lover's but in a manner which sent tame shivers through her body. His lips then captured hers to begin a journey to pleasure both had missed for centuries.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Stargate: Atlantis'. They're not my property. The 'Ancient Krolevians' are mine.

* * *

"_I never imagined it was possible..._"

"_It is. It is real," he assured her._ "_I will be waiting for you there. Everyone will be waiting for you_."

* * *

In the wide room, a young man sat on a chair brushing away dirt stuck in some of the tiny holes around the pendant. He was soon joined by a colleague curious to see how the work was progressing. "_You're still cleaning it_?" Paul asked.

"_Mm_."

" I _can't believe you found it on the ground just like that. One would expect it to be kept somewhere safe._" He looked at the small circular stone, no bigger than a coin with layers of deep green and light green surrounded by a silver frame that was held by a delicate chain.

"_It would be surprising_," Marko replied, "_if we didn't come across all those bones before._" He moved the brush gently over the stone. "_Something nasty happened back there._"

"_I agree._" Paul sighed. They had discovered this small piece of jewelry in a small, empty room, too far away from the site of the bones for them to make any real guesses. "_It looks like it could've belonged to someone from the royal family._"

"_Maybe. I don't remember a rock like this being found in Delonia._"

"_It could've been acquired through trade._"

"_If we could only find any documents that would tell us they did any trading outside of Delonia._" Marko leaned back to give himself a moment of rest. "_Any luck with the tapestries?_"

"_No. I'm going to begin doubting they ever existed in the first place…._"

"_And George was so sure about them._" Marko looked at the necklace. "Are you _going to tell the Canadians about this?_"

"_No,_" Paul replied simply.

* * *

She woke up to the sound of crowds and cars. Elizabeth blinked several times when the strong rays of the sun hit her harshly. She swore quietly before the warm sheets reminded her of the way she had slept. No clothes but the orange bed sheet over her – not her usual way of spending the night. Her mind failed to produce memories of how her clothes had been removed…

A pleasant dream but nothing else. She sat up and yawned as her tired eyes looked around the empty hotel room. Everything appeared tidy and in its place, something she remembered. She fell back on the bed. Her nose picked up a sweet smell of watermelon on the pillow next to hers. She thought little of that, and focused more on the thought of needing to find John. Elizabeth slowly left the bed and began putting on her underwear. She knew now. It finally came to her.

* * *

John folded his map of Europe back and put it in the backpack. The red door of his room opened slightly. "John?" Fulya's voice was heard.

"Evet?"

"İngilizce konuşan bir bayan sizi arıyor."

"Ah?" John stood up and opened the door widely. "Teşekkürler," he said and took the phone. When Fulya left, John answered the call. "Elizabeth?"

"Good morning."

"Yeah, thanks." He felt rather tired and not with an impression that it had been that good of a morning. The reason for that tiredness, however, was not known to him.

"You don't sound too good," she noted.

"Kind of tired…don't think I slept too well." He heard a quiet sigh on the other line.

"I know the feeling," her sympathetic answer was even quieter. "But the reason I called…" her voice picked up volume. "..is that we might have found a way to open the chamber."

"Really."

"Yes, but…um, I need you to come and have a look at something first."

* * *

It was when he arrived back at the site that John was led by Elizabeth to the chamber. Standing in front of the sealed door, he saw a small but sharp knife being pulled out from her pocket. She began searching for something at the upper part of the door until she found a tiny circle and jammed the blade in it. The door stood still, not moving.

"Doesn't seem to work," he said.

"I am not done," she responded with confidence and a focus for the old door.

"What exactly did you find?"

She didn't respond to his question. Instead, she turned the blade twice – each turn revealing a half-circle around it, reaching the upper end of the door. The circular shape deepened as Elizabeth turned the knife two more times. Then, suddenly the door fell down. "Come on!" she waved him inside.

"Just like that?" Seeing not even a flashlight to help guide her inside, John was surprised by her eagerness.

"Yes, it is safe, come on!" She urged him, repeating the same hand motion.

John was doubtful, as this appeared strange to him. "We should tell –"

"No!" Elizabeth hissed and jumped back to face him, covering his mouth with her hand. "They cannot know!" she whispered.

His eyebrows almost merged at the unexpected request. "Elizabeth?" his muffed voice barely came through her flesh. Enough natural light managed to be splashed inside this old space for John to see the strange need in her eyes.

"They must _not_ know," she sounded determined but at the same time begging.

"Why?"

She shook her head and slowly removed her hand from his mouth. "You will see," her tone of whisper remained.

John saw her waiting for his response. Once again, he went against his better judgment for her. "Lead the way then," he whispered to her.

She smiled to his reply and hurried inside.

"Can't believe I said that," John said and hurried after her in the darkness. The silence and lack of light gave him an uneasy feeling that only increased once the door closed behind them. "Was that supposed to happen?" he asked, staring at the darkness.

"Yes," she answered from somewhere.

"Oh great." He could not see the woman but at least he could hear her moving. It felt cold in here, quiet, dusty, creepy. John expected the dust to make her sneeze but it didn't.

"Come here and help me move this," she called him.

How could she see anything in this thick darkness? "Where?" he asked.

"Here!" She sounded almost annoyed by his slow response. "Oh, yes… you cannot see anything."

He felt her taking his hand and leading him forward. "Do not worry, there is nothing here to hurt you," she spoke to him like to a child.

"Elizabeth… how did you find out how to open the chamber?"

"Because I was the one who ordered the construction."

"Say what?"

She lowered his hand down until he felt a warm stone beneath his hand. Elizabeth didn't give further explanation to his request but simply told him to push the stone forward. He did. With every push, faint light was being uncovered from beneath the, now visible, white stone. Once it was pushed away entirely, a sudden, large flame burst through the circular hole.

"Shit!" John leaped back, taken horribly aback by this. The fire with its bright, yellow light gradually took on a greener color, chasing most of the darkness away from this room.

Even Elizabeth appeared surprised by this as she stared at the flame. "No," she spoke. "Why is this still burning?"

Sitting on the sandy surface, John was presented with the opportunity to see this medium-sized room. Despite the flame in its middle, there appeared to be nothing of note in here. The grey stone walls were bare, and the floor was empty; so many expectations for a room which contained… nothing. "Elizabeth?" he then called her.

"It was supposed to be extinguished with its death… why…why is it still burning?" She stared at the flame. "Perhaps it is waiting for me…" Elizabeth added quietly.

"Hey!" he tried again, standing up. Finally her face turned toward him. "What's going on here?"

"I asked you to come here for a good reason, John."

"Yeah? I'm still waiting to hear it."

Her eyes traveled from his face to the flame several times until finally she approached him. "You are my witness, John, that I was indeed present here," she spoke with her hand to her chest. "She is only a tool for me, but I believe she has at least the right to know what has happened. I have no doubt Elizabeth would believe you when you tell her."

"Eli-?" He tilted his head. "Are you alright?"

A grin appeared on her face. "Oh yes. In fact, I am happy."

She wasn't lying, at least, from what John could see in her green eyes. Elizabeth started speaking to him in a language not familiar to him except for a few words he had known as Krolevian. Her tone took a gentler turn until it descended into a whisper. "She has been a good host for me." She smiled at the way he was looking at her. "I am Destvia."

"Are you now." John took a step back.

"I do not expect you to believe me now, but you will soon."

"You don't say."

"I came here after my 34th birthday, and this!" she spread her arms, "Was in a much simpler, more primitive state. My captor wanted…through me, it ordered the construction of the surrounding walls and gate, so when the time came, everyone would know it as…" she shook her head in a disgusted manner, "as the birthplace of all that is righteous…and other lies. This fire," she pointed to the green flame, "began burning the moment the demon escaped its resting place." She began walking around it. "I learned, while being its captive, that with the demon's death, this fire would extinguish itself."

"But it hasn't."

"No, perhaps my own departure would cause its end," she sounded hopeful.

"I can't say any of this makes much sense," John replied.

"It will."

"You're that queen who pretty much brought the Bronze City to its quiet death." He remained skeptical, but decided to play along.

"No!" she objected loudly. "That was not me!"

"Well, from what we found in there, it said otherwise."

"That is because no one was aware of the truth."

"And that was…?"

"It was a demon's doing, not mine!"

"You were taken over by a demon."

"Yes."

"Here."

"That is correct."

He couldn't help but smirk. "Look, Elizabeth –"

She rushed toward him. "It is not her you are talking to now, John," her response appeared sharp, her look even more so. "For the time being, remember that."

John could not be certain of this. Her gaze appeared different, her earlier words appeared strange… "So, that should explain how come you could 'see' in the dark."

"You are mocking me?"

"No, no… it's just…well, if you were in my place you would find this a bit…or more, hard to believe."

She moved her head back. "You are as skeptical as she is…" Destvia smiled softly. "What you could not see or touch… it does not register as real to you."

"Something like that."

Her arched eyebrow lifted itself higher to his response. "I used to be like that once. I believed in no deities, ghosts….anything; even less so after the murder of my parents…. But after being a prisoner of a dark….being for so long… my beliefs changed."

Perhaps there could be some truth to this. "So that was what Juliana did to Elizabeth back at the city?"

"I had to escape. It was my only chance and I used it."

"And you couldn't do it before?"

"When my body was injured, its grasp on my soul was too tight for me to break free, so I remained its prisoner, even when Gord and the other soldiers confined it in that 'box' which the woman opened. When it entered her body, it was still weak, finding its way through…its grip was not as strong during those moments, and that allowed me to escape."

"Why Elizabeth?"

"Well," she smiled. "It would not be very appropriate for a female soul to find temporary refuge in a body of a man."

"Yeah, guess that works." John crossed his arms. "Why are we here now?"

"My time here is coming to an end, and this is where I must part from this world."

"Great, and Elizabeth?"

"She… she should survive, if she is lucky."

This alarmed him. "Wait, what?"

"I do not know what my departure will do to her, but if I do not attempt anything, we will both die."

"And how are you planning on….leaving?"

Destvia removed her gaze and settled it on the flame. She stretched out her hand for the green flame to touch it.

"Hey, whoa!" John ran up to her, removing her hand.

Destvia's stare was that of shock. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Stopping you from injuring her!"

"Would you prefer that she dies?" she asked him coldly.

"No! But I'm not too happy about seeing her being burned alive like that."

Destvia stared at him, her quiet shock morphed into coldness. "Do you know how it felt to have those who had adored you to look at you with fear and hatred? Do you _know_ how it felt like to watch people being tortured for pleasure of some_thing_ else? Have you _any idea_ how it could feel like for history to remember you as a tyrant when you were not one? As a witch, a monster who never cared for her people?"

"Can't say I do."

"I watched it kill those who were dear to me. I watched it turn my beloved city into a city of death and suffering. No one knew the truth…. No one…"

"Your lover seemed to have known."

"Only near the end." Her eyes softened visibly at his memory. "And he risked his mortality for me."

John was silent. Something in her eyes got to him. "And the city."

"Yes, but…" she sighed. "He chose not to kill it until I was its prisoner."

"Why?"

"Because my soul would disappear into nothingness along with the demon, and that was considered as punishment by us."

"And this?"

"This is an opportunity for my soul to join the others, to be remembered."

"How?"

"We believe if our Guide picks the soul from our corpses and flies into the white sanctuary that we remain as a memory in the minds of our descendants."

He watched her quietly, somehow struck by her words to a level that even frightened him.

Destvia saw this in him. "Before Gord came to me… I did nothing to aid Elizabeth in discovering more about this chamber. I believed he had perished before destroying that hideous demon. At times my consciousness might have merged with hers, altering her. Sometimes it allowed her a glimpse inside a few pieces of my life by accident… I attempted to keep certain memories away from her, and it hurt her work… But some things from the past are best not revealed in the future. Such sadness had taken over me that I gave into the thought of disappearing into forgetfulness… but at least I would not disappear in that rotting demon."

John didn't say anything, only stood next to her, holding her wrist.

"However, after our meeting, I became eager because I knew he survived, his soul was saved and forgiven. And now it is my chance."

"Meeting?"

"Yes…" Her lips trembled for a moment. "I…we communicated in a special way that only spirits could and one which is beyond the level of your understanding."

"Of course," he replied with a touch of sarcasm. She only stared back at him, unwilling to share more of that topic. "I can't let you hurt her."

"John."

"No."

"She is not aware of what is happening now."

"I can't believe that."

"You have no choice."

"Yes I do."

"So you would rather watch her die."

"No."

"Then allow me, John."

"You said you don't know what will happen to her if you go through with this."

"Yes." She shook her head. "I only wanted you to be a witness who had spoken to me. If I succeed, she will be alive and well with only a dream that she could not remember."

"You know this will raise a lot of questions –" he pointed to the walls.

"Ones you will not answer to. Everything will return to the way it was once the ritual is complete. They will find this place in the same state as you did…. They will give wrong assumptions to its role, as they usually do from what I had seen so far, and… it will come to a pleasant end."

He had doubts. "There is more to this…"

She was quiet for a moment. He had taken too much of her short time on this Earth. "I want to tell you more, but my time is not long and you are making it shorter for me. Forgive me…" Her other hand reached for his neck and struck a blow that sent him into unconsciousness.

He fell to the ground, leaving her free. Destvia turned back to the flame. She looked up and heard a whisper. She smiled to its words. Without hesitation she stepped inside the flame. No scream was heard as the flame increased and burned. Pale green light emerged from the sealed ceiling. The light parted into two rays that revealed a white raven. It approached the flames, gliding above the woman's body. The wind from the wings chased the flames enough for Destvia's face to be revealed. She smiled and opened her mouth, but the raven did not touch her lips; instead it spread the flames in a larger circle around her. This confused her. "_Why?_" she asked.

"_You must be cleansed_," a soft voice spoke from above.

"_Cleansed? No, why? I am free…_"

"_You had been its prisoner for too long._"

The raven circled around the flames, increasing their quiet hunger. Fear sparked inside the woman. She couldn't see anything around her but those viciously hot green flames.

The raven descended to the ground and approached John's unconscious body. Carefully it watched him, searching for something. It then touched John's bare arm with its beak, and without much effort it punctured a hole, allowing red and green blood to begin flowing from the wound. It waited until a small puddle was formed next to the man, and then it began gathering it with its beak. The liquid left no moisture on the ground, as the raven caressed the wounded arm with its left wing, healing it with each stroke until there was no trace of anything there. It flew up and over the flames where Destvia had been. She looked at it with unexpected fear in her eyes.

"_Open your mouth_," the voice told her.

She obeyed. Time was too short for her.

From the pale beak drops of mixed blood began dropping inside her mouth. Destvia swallowed it and then waited. The calmness lasted only briefly when a sharp pain struck her head forcing her to scream and drop to the ground on her hands and knees. She shut her eyes to the sharp daggers in her head. Another scream followed before the pain suddenly ceased, allowing her to open her eyes and giving a false hope of an ending, when the pain surged down to her abdomen. It spun around, burrowing inside her as its intensity grew. She held onto her stomach, wanting more to puncture it with her fingers to remove the hurting from inside. The tears that left her eyes were long and slow until she began coughing out blood of pure, bright red. The tears stung her eyes as she tried to keep them open. With fresh stains of blood on her mouth and face, Destvia looked up at the watchful creature above her. She tried to take deep breaths but it was difficult. Her strength felt fragile, her voice absent; her human muscles barely gave her a chance to stand up, with knees too weak to hold her weight longer. Another urge to vomit overcame her and she fell down once again, coughing out even more blood. It felt painful. Among the thick redness she suddenly saw a thin black larvae struggling. "_Do you see that_?" she was asked. "_You have not escaped it completely, Destiva_."

She was too weak to respond with words as she watched the tiny remains of an evil she wished to escape.

"_Like a parasite it would have nested inside her and begin the cycle anew_."

Destvia looked up at the silent eyes of her Guide.

"_There is more_," she was told. The flames attacked her, covering her completely. In the chaos, the raven's beak touched inside the tender flesh from where another pale mist of a sleeping woman was pulled out. With it, the raven flew up, disappearing with the last rays.

Time passed and the flame began to slowly fade and fade until it became a mere spark that vanished in time. Elizabeth's unharmed body collapsed to the ground, sweat covering every bit of her flesh.

With a soft aching pinch in his arm, John slowly brought himself out of unconsciousness. Pale gray light behind him gave his eyes some visibility in this otherwise dark chamber. He slowly turned to see the door opened. Looking back at his shadow, he noticed Elizabeth's silhouette. He hurried over to her. A sense of panic took over him as he touched her sweaty skin looking for signs of life. When his senses picked up that pulse and that heartbeat, his level of alertness diminished slightly and John brought her closer to him, holding her upper body in his embrace.

"Elizabeth?" he breathed out her name to which she didn't respond. The stains of blood on her face worried him, making him curse the fact that he was not there when this happened. Beyond the curls of her hair he saw the moved stone and a small hole that showed no signs of disturbance. John wished he knew what happened or if Elizabeth had been aware of all this. Looking down at her face, he hoped she had little or no recollection of the ritual. It was so very quiet in here. He could not hear the voices from the few workers going on about their business from the outside.

"Let's get you out of here," he said and took her in his arms again. He turned to leave but then suddenly stopped, looking at her face for a moment. He lowered her to the ground and began wiping the stains of blood away from her face with the end of his blue shirt. The less explaining he would need to do, the better. Few stains remained when he removed his hand but they were too small to be noticeable right away. Again he stood up and carried her out of the chamber. The footprints that were left behind him and the once present ancient spirit slowly disappeared.

* * *

Freddie and Mustafa had finished a survey when they saw John carrying an exhausted Elizabeth. "What happened?" Freddie asked about his friend.

"She felt tired and just fainted."

"I'm gonna call –"

"Uh, doc, no, there's no need."

"Are you sure, she looks –"

"Just tired, but she'll be fine, trust me. I'll take her back to the hotel."

Somehow, Freddie ended up agreeing to his request. "Mustafa was about to leave, he could drive you," he offered, and his colleague confirmed the offer. John didn't hesitate to accept it.

After they left, Freddie came down to the chamber where he only saw the closed gate. Nothing seemed different.

* * *

Mustafa passed the green light and then briefly looked at his rear mirror. With her head resting on his chest, Elizabeth slept quietly whilst John watched whatever passed by the slightly lowered window. "Iyilesecek mi?" he asked the man.

John looked down at her. "Sanirim," he replied and gently brushed her hair.

* * *

With only the thick bathrobe around her, Elizabeth sat quietly in her chair, with a glass of hot tea in her hands. With his head leaning on the two fingers of his hand, John watched her silently. Both were sitting on the table on a balcony overlooking the town. It was cloudy this morning; the heavy, dark clouds were slowly announcing the arrival of rain. It was a rather depressing morning.

Her left bare shoulder ended up being shyly exposed to his view, but his eyes were concentrated on her face. He worried. "Did you manage to get some sleep?" John asked her softly.

"Five minutes," she replied, keeping her eyes to the opened view.

John licked his lips. He could only imagine how unsettling last night had been for her. After he brought her to her room and she finally came around, Elizabeth took a shower – a very, very long one. John insisted to stay with her for the rest of the night just in case. Elizabeth insisted to be left alone. They agreed on a compromise for John to return the next morning, and here he was now. John told her everything. He could not know for certain how she felt. "How do you feel?"

A small smile dared to appear on that clean face of hers. "That's the fifth time you asked me this morning."

"Wanting to make sure." When she looked back at him, John saw nothing extraordinary in her gaze. He picked up tiredness, but nothing to suggest she had been through a traumatic experience… either that, or she simply hid it too well.

"And I thought it was only I who worried too much for my own good."

He smiled briefly to her comment. "Will you go back?" he asked her.

She took a sip of the hot drink and then looked down at the glass in her hands. Elizabeth shook her head, and John could now see that elegant, swan-like neck of hers for the first time. "No," she replied. "I'm flying back to Toronto."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I can't shake off this feeling that my role is done here. I'll talk to Freddie later and…" She sighed. Elizabeth put the glass back on the table and picked up the black notebook. "She certainly didn't leave much behind," she said about the large number of torn out pages. She opened the first page and touched the paper with her palm.

John was wrong. That experience, no matter how aware Elizabeth had or hadn't been, left a deep mark inside her; he could tell when she picked up the notebook. "Guess she wasn't as generous with her memories as we thought," he replied.

"No."

Any other time John would smile at the way she would stretch that 'o', but now, he remained quiet.

"And you haven't given me your reply about my request," she said and looked back at him.

"Coming with you?" He only saw her continuous gaze. This time, he showed a brief smile. "I think I'll have a walk to think about it." John stood up. It had been more about giving some time to herself, rather than to decide about her request. He had done that already.

"Okay." She felt his hand on her covered shoulder and a soft but brief kiss on her head. The door closed again and Elizabeth remained alone. She took a deep breath and looked back at the heavy clouds.

**End of Part 2  
**

Author's note: Thank you for the great reviews. I hope you enjoyed this second part :) A special thank you to **Jess**. :-)


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